Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 17, 2017)

Lion director Garth Davis on Oscar pressure, desi love and rumours of link-up with Nicole
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 3, 2017)

It was a coincidence that Australian filmmaker Garth Davis found inspiration to make Lion from a newspaper article. It brought him to India, a country, he says, “feels like home”. “I wish I could be more of a tourist, but I have explored India like a local. Of course, the story of Lion connected me with the place, but prior to that too, I was connected to Indian literature,” Garth Davis tells hitlist.

The director of the Oscar-nominated film, Lion, which tells the story of an Indian orphan, is currently in Mumbai to promote the project. He says, “Arundhati Roy’s God Of Small Things is my favourite novel. Once I land in India, I feel a sense of kinship.”

The filmmaker, who has struck gold with his maiden feature, says that a newspaper article about Saroo Brierley (Indian-born Australian businessman, who was separated from his birth mother and adopted by an Australian couple) finding his mother two decades after separation was his inspiration. “The story was magical. It traversed two different worlds. Its matriarchal quality was the foremost reason we made the film.”

Dev Patel (Saroo), who is nominated for Best Actor, had told hitlist last week that he barged into Garth’s office to audition for Lion. “I never thought he could be Saroo. I just saw him share the passion for the story.” But, some say, what added value to Lion was casting Nicole Kidman. “When I was spending time with Saroo’s foster mother, Sue, I couldn’t think of anyone better than Nicole. She understood Sue with such depth,” he says.

Nicole is also someone Davis has been linked with. Reports suggest her husband (Keith Urban) is upset with the filmmaker. Davis slams gossip, saying, “It’s stupid that when we were shooting, tabloids wrote about Nicole being pregnant. I’d meet her on set and wonder, where’s the bump? There isn’t an ounce of truth.
It was upsetting because my children had a talk with me about the reports.”

With Oscar nominations in six categories, is Garth nervous? “I don’t let pressure get to me. I take pride in the film we’ve made. Now it’s in the lap of the Gods to decide what it deserves. When we didn’t win at the Golden Globes, there was a little disappointment. Awards make you too concerned about winning and losing. At the Oscars, the odds are against us. If we win, I’ll be surprised.”

Saroo Brierley, who inspired Garth Davis' 'Lion', talks about his life that's now the subject of six Academy Award nominations
Benita Fernando (MID-DAY; January 30, 2017)

Dev Patel-starrer 'Lion' may have lost out on the Golden Globes earlier this month, but six Oscar nominations have brought the film back into the spotlight. And India born, Tasmania-based Saroo Brierley couldn't be happier. After all, he is the man whose true story, with all trappings of a perfect potboiler, inspired the film. Saroo was five when he was separated from his family in a Madhya Pradesh village as he fell asleep on a train that took him to Kolkata and other places before he was adopted by an Aussie couple. It was 25 years later that he reunited with his biological mother, thanks to technology. In a chat with hitlist, Saroo shares his excitement over the Oscar nominations. Edited excerpts:

You must be thrilled that your story and memoir (A Long Way Home) have found a cinematic avatar, with Dev getting an Oscar nomination. How does it feel?
I am super excited that there has been great recognition from industry critics. Receiving a nomination is fantastic as it will propel Lion even longer in the cinemas for people to watch and for those who have just got wind of the fantastic story.

Did you work closely with Garth Davis (director) and Dev during the making? Did you advise them on locations and the narrative?
My mother and I helped realign and shape the Lion script, and act as consultants. I showed Garth and Luke (Davies, screenwriter) the route I walked as a lost child in India and the clothes I wore. I think Luke and Garth had extra information, which wasn't in the book, to look over and maybe, use. I have taken a massive gap year to be part of the film's marketing campaign, which has taken a lot of my time and was extremely fun, if I might add.

Does the film stay faithful to your novel? If not, what changes were incorporated?
The film stays pretty true to the real story — about 90 per cent. Of course, for a motion picture, there has to be creative license. My family and I are happy with the final cut.

What has the reaction of your families — in India and Australia — been to the film?
My adoptive family has been amazed at how accurately the actors have portrayed them. They found the film endearing as well as sad since it touches every single emotion.

Can you share some anecdotes/ instances of your life before and immediately after the ordeal of getting lost on the train? It must have been a nightmarish time. Can you recall the many challenges you had to face before being adopted?
There were many instances during my time in Kolkata when I thought I was going to die — from being abducted to almost drowning twice in the Hooghly river to being thrown into prison. I didn't think of it much after the events had happened since I was living on raw nerve and off my wits. I wouldn't wish for any five-year-old to go through what I did.

You were able to locate your Indian family using Google Earth. Was it a tough search?
Google Earth was the catalyst to finding my family. If I used images from my memory, I would still be looking [for my family]. Without Google Earth, it wouldn't have ever been possible.

Can you recount what it was like to meet your mother, Fatima Munshi, after 25 years?
It was the most pivotal time in my life. I couldn't believe I defied what people once thought impossible. There were tears, hugs and a massive feeling of being reunited. I was extremely emotional.

Hope played a major part...
It was one of the ingredients of success. Chance, determination, love and an unorthodox mind are the recipe to absolute success.

What are your thoughts on adoption and the laws surrounding it, both in India and abroad? Do you think children, who have experienced similar circumstances, are in dire need of a better future?
I believe adoption should be available for [people of] every country and not blocked by the government. Having the option of adoption allows one freedom to have a child if one is not in favour of IVF or having biological kids. Many children need homes, and I hope this movie makes people consider adoption way more than they do now.

Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Priyanka Bose and Nicole Kidman at Lion’s premiere; (inset) Tannishtha Chaterjee, who also stars in the film

Lion, with a full-on desi cast, picks up four Golden Globe nominations ahead of the Oscars; actors ecstatic
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 14, 2016)

On Monday, the list of contenders for the 74th Golden Globe Awards was announced. The big surprise for Indians was the Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman-starrer, Lion, with a prominent line-up of Bollywood actors, bagging four nominations in top categories — Best Film, Best Score, Best Supporting Actor (Dev) and Best Supporting Actress (Nicole). Based on the memoir, A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, the film is directed by Garth Davis and traces the story of a five-year-old boy, Saroo, who gets lost on a train. He survives alone in Kolkata, before being adopted by an Australian couple. He sets out to find his lost family 25 years later.

Dev, who plays the older Saroo, said, “I am humbled to be acknowledged in a category alongside these incredible gentlemen. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my real family back in London and in India, and for my ‘Lion’ family. My mom is going to be really happy.”

Many have attributed the film’s innocence to child-actor Sunny Pawar, who plays younger Saroo. Speaking from the US, he said, “I am elated that this was my first film and it got nominated.” Priyanka Bose, who plays Saroo’s mother, said, “It is truly deserved. Dev has delivered a stirring performance and proves how much he’s grown since Slumdog Millionaire (2008).”

Ask her if the vibe around the film is similar to that of the Oscar winner, and she adds, “Slumdog… and Lion take unique trajectories. But, I remember the excitement around it back then. We are all global actors and diversity is of utmost importance, more now than ever before. I feel fiercely patriotic.”

Tannishtha Chatterjee was surprised when we informed her about the nominations. “Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the film yet. The makers had invited me to the screening at the Toronto and London Film Festivals, but I couldn’t go. At the risk of sounding ambitious, the film may be nominated in the same categories at the Oscars too. When I read the script, I knew we were making something special. Garth is able to extract fine performances from his actors. I hope we bag all awards.”

Deepti Naval, who features as an orphanage caretaker, says, “It has created a buzz in the festival and awards circuit. The film leaves you choked.”